Grape plant called `Southern Home`

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of grape with a unique leaf resembling the maple. This cultivar is adapted as an ornamental, dooryard grape that could be grown on arbors around patios and as borders on fences. The new grape is distinguished by vigorous growth and superior disease resistance, requiring few fungicide applications, making it environmentally compatible for use around the home. The grape is also distinguished by its foliar characteristics which make it visibly different than other commercial cultivars of grape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct variety of grape with a unique leaf resembling themaple. This cultivar is adapted as an ornamental, dooryard grape thatcould be grown on arbors around patios and as borders on fences. The newgrape is distinguished by vigorous growth and superior diseaseresistance, requiring few fungicide applications, making itenvironmentally compatible for use around the home. The grape is alsodistinguished by its foliar characteristics which make it visiblydifferent than other commercial cultivars of grape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color photographs show typical specimens of the plantand leaves of the new variety.

FIG. 1 is a color photograph of the present grape plant emphasizingfoliage and fruit mid-season;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are photographs of actively growing shoot tips of thepresent grape emphasizing anthocyanin pigmentation in leaves and shoottips, becoming more brilliant at node junctions and discontinuousunbranched tendrils;

FIG. 4 is a color photograph of flower clusters in bloom detailingreproductive organs with filaments and anthers in upright positionindicating self fertile flower;

FIG. 5 is a color photograph of ripe fruit reflecting the variation infruit shape and size and the uniform coloration at harvest; and

FIG. 6 is a genealogy of the present grape plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of grapeplant, originating from the grape breeding program at the CentralFlorida Research and Education Center in Leesburg, Fla. This new grapehybrid, called `Southern Home`, was one of 43 segregants from a 1979cross between Summit muscadine and Fla. P9-15 interspecific hybrid. Uponselection for further observation and testing, the original plant wasasexually propagated by cuttings made from actively growing shoots whichwere rooted under conventional intermittent mist in rooting beds, at theexperimental facilities of the above noted institution, under mydirection. The clonal stock so attained proved to be identical to theoriginally selected plant in all distinguishing characteristics. Thegenealogy as shown in FIG. 6 can be traced back to the original crossbetween V39-R₂ -B₂ (Vitis rotundifolia) female and Black Morocco (V.vinifera) in 1916, makes Southern Home six generations removed from V.vinifera and is thus heavily muscadine in traits. The original seedlingof Southern Home was planted in the research vineyard in 1981 and firstfruited in 1984. It was first selected in 1984 because of it's strikingleaf pattern, unique fruit, vigor, and disease resistance and waspropagated for further trial as Fla. AA12-3.

`Southern Home` (V. rotundifolia, munsoniana, popenoei, vinifera) isbeing considered by the University of Florida as an ornamental, dooryardgrape with adaptability to the Southern United States. The black fruitis of the muscadine-type and is particularly suited for the fresh fruitmarket and for processing into jelly. This interspecific-hybrid isunique in appearance because of its leaf shape with very deep cutsinuses, resembling, that of a maple leaf. It has potential as adooryard grape that could be grown on arbors around patios and asborders on fences.

Type: The grape plant is a selected seedling from a cross of Summitmuscadine and Fla.P9-15 interspecific hybrid. Flowers are self fertile.`Southern Home` has excellent vigor, with semi-recumbent growth and 4 to12 cm internodes.

Size: Grapevines can grow great distances when left unpruned and it istherefore difficult to state a specific size. It is recommended that`Southern Home` be managed to a length of cordon not to exceed 40' onany trellis system or an overhead arbor. Height will vary from 5' to 7'when managed depending on the trellis system used. The thickness oftrunk is also variable but averages about 7 cm in width.

Leaves: Leaves average 10 cm in length and 11 cm in width, resembling amaple leaf with deeply cut sinuses that are bilaterally convex in shape.Lower leaf surfaces are light green and shiny, with very slightpubescence noticeable mainly at vein junctions. Upper leaf surfaces aredark green and shiny with a slightly rugose appearance on the outermargins of leaves. Petioles are shorter than leaf blade midribs, andpetiolar sinus is open. Tendrils are discontinuous along nodes, average24 cm in length, and are unbranched. Anthocyanin pigmentation appears inpetioles, lower leaf surface veins, tendrils, and newly expanded shootsand leaves becoming more brilliant at node junctions. The color, basedupon The Royal Horticultural Society London colour chart for the upperleaf surface is primarily dark green (137 A) with lower leaf surfacebeing a lighter shade of green (138 A). Leaf petioles are green (137 C)at the base, changing to red-purple (60 C) as it extends toward theleaf. Leaf midrib and veins on upper leaf surface are yellow-green (151D). Leaf midrib and veins on lower leaf surface are primarily red-purple(60 C). Canes are primarily green (139 C) with red-purple (60 B) at nodejunctions.

Fruit: `Southern Home` usually ripens at Leesburg, Fla. by Aug. 22, whenit generally has reached 17-19% soluble solids and 0.29-0.39% titratableacidity. Berries ripen uniformly, with a few late blooms ripening intoOctober or November Primary fruit may be found on the fourth and fifthnodes of the shoot, while occasional fruit may be found on the thirdnode. Clusters are moderately loose, averaging 80.5 g and 12.2 berriesper cluster. Berries are oval, averaging 18.6 mm in diameter and 23.0 mmin length with a skin thickness of 0.80 mm. The fruit average 6.7 geach. They are black with no surface bloom, but lenticels that are moreprominent on `Southern Home` berries than on Alachua result in prominentyellow-orange specks on the skin. The flesh is typically muscadine,comparable to that of Cowart or Albemarle, pale green to cream in color,translucent, medium in firmness, breaks up easily when chewed, andseparates from the skin. The thick muscadine-type skin is eatable. Theflavor is very aromatic, with a sweet taste. The fruit is best suitedfor fresh market or processing into jelly or juice. Color instabilitymakes is undesirable for wine. With 3.4 seeds per berry weighing 5.6 gper 100 seeds, there is an average flesh to seed ratio of 33:1. Thisfavorable ratio is comparable to that of Alachua, which is 30:1. Thepicking scar is moderately dry. Ripe fruit can adhere to the vine for alonger period of time than that of regular muscadine cultivars, addingto its dooryard ornamental value. Fruit storage qualities are similar toregular muscadines. The color of the fruit, based on The RoyalHorticultural Society London colour chart, is black (202 A) withyellow-orange (14 D) lenticels or specks.

Flowers: The grape flowers are in clusters and the bloom hasreproductive organs with filaments and anthers in upright positionindicating a self fertile flower. Non-blooming flower clusters areyellow-green (145 A). In bloom, female flower parts are yellow-green(151 B). Anthers are yellow (9 B) with fresh pollen.

Pest responses: Because of `Southern Home's` superior disease resistancefew, if any, fungicide applications are required, making itenvironmentally compatible with the move toward reduced pesticide usagearound the home. Symptoms of Pierce's disease have never been observedin Southern Home at the Central Florida Research and Education Center inLeesburg, Fla. It is highly resistant to ripe rot (Glomerellacingulata), bitter rot (Melanconium fuligineum), and black rot(Guignardia bidwellii). It is also completely resistant to anthracnose(Elsinoe ampelina) and downy mildew (Plasmospara viticola). Late seasondiseases such as angular leaf spot (Mycosphaerella angulata) may occuron `Southern Home`, but in such small amounts that fungicide applicationmay not be warranted.

Asexual reproduction: Reproduction can be done by taking cuttings fromactively growing shoots and placing in mist beds. Layering, by placingmoist material (soil, sphagnum moss, etc.) over actively growing shootsthat are still attached to the vine will also develop roots. Rooting ofhardwood (dormant) cuttings, though difficult, can be obtained. In vitromicropropagation of meristem tips and nodes is another method ofpropagation as well as somatic embryogenesis. The original plant wasasexually propagated by cuttings made from actively growing shoots whichwere rooted under conventional intermittent mist in rooting beds at theexperimental facilities of the University of Florida, under mydirection. The clonal stock so attained proved to be identical to theoriginally selected plant in all distinguishing characteristics.

Distinctive features: The new grape is distinguished by vigorous growthand superior disease resistance, requiring few fungicide applications tomake it environmentally compatible for use around the home. The grape isalso distinguished by its foliar characteristics which make it visiblydifferent than other commercial cultivars of grape and by its vigorousgrowth, disease resistance and by the fruit.

The Table below shows flower type, percentage dry scar, berry size,soluble solids, type of ripening and level of disease resistance for`Southern Home` compared with other black muscadine varieties inLeesburg and Monticello, Fla.

    ______________________________________                                                  Dry    Berry   Soluble                                                                              Type                                          Cultivar  scar   size    solids of     Disease                                Flower.sup.z                                                                            (%)    (g)     (%)    ripening                                                                             resistance                             ______________________________________                                        Leesburg Tests                                                                Southern                                                                              SF    64.4   6.7   18.2   Even   Excellent                            Home                                                                          Alachua SF    74.0   7.5   18.0   Even   Very Good                            Albemarle                                                                             SF    82.9   5.8   19.2   Even   Good                                 Cowart  SF    15.0   7.2   17.6   Uneven Good                                 Nesbitt SF    31.6   9.8   17.2   Uneven Good                                 Monticello Tests                                                              Southern                                                                              SF    97.5   6.8   19.1   --.sup.y                                                                             --                                   Home                                                                          Alachua SF    98.0   8.0   17.7   --     --                                   Loomis  F     70.0   9.8   15.1   --                                          ______________________________________                                         .sup.z SF = self fertile, F = female                                          .sup.y not tested or evaluated                                           

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of grape plant called `SouthernHome`, substantially as herein illustrated and described, characterizedby the unusual shape of the leaf, particularly by deep cut sinuses ofthe leaves resembling a maple leaf, and by the vigorous growth, diseaseresistance, and by the fruit.